Automobile running-board lamp



Dec. 9, 1930.

w. A. GULLETTE AUTOMOBILE RUNNING BOARD LAMP Filed Feb.'5, 1930 INVENTDR EIY HTTDRNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICEv WILLIAM A. GULLETTE, E WHEELING, WEsT VIRGINIA, AssIGNoE 0E TWdTIIIItns T03y s. K. FRANK, or WHEELING, WEST-VIRGINIA, AND ONE-THIRD To cHAs. A. n-IcK, or WHEELING, WEsT VIRGINIA, .As TRUSTEE Eon JOHN E. sTEvENsoN, VAL'G.

FGUNDIIING, AND CHAS. A. DICK AUTOMOBILE RUNNING-BOARD 'IQAMI' i Application `filed Februaryr, 1930. Serial No. 426,062.

This invention relates broadly to runningboard lamps for automobiles, and more spe-r ciiically -to a support or bracket for such lamps. ,y y' 5 The primary object lof the invention is to provide a simple, strong and comparatively inexpensive supporting bracket for the running-board lamps of automobiles, which is adapted to be adjusted to dispose the lamp either in its operative position or in an'outof-the-way position, and also provided 'with means whereby said lamp Vis `maintained steadily in its adjusted position.

A furtherob'ect is to provide a simple means of attachment between the lamp and said bracket, Ysaid meanspermitting adjustment of said lamp with respect to the vbracket as maybe required. l

A still further obj ect is to structurally. improve and simplifythe structure disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,675,931, granted July 3 1928. f 7In describing the invention in detail, reiference is herein had to the accompanying drawings, in which-"- A Figure l is a top plan view of the inveneV tion, showing it mounted on an automobile lrunning board and' occupying'its operative position;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of-the same, the running board being shown in section;

Figure' 3 is a section taken on `line 3;-3, Fi l K v Figilre 4 is a fragmentary top plan'view of the bracket, parts being shown broken away; Figure 5 `is a section on line 5-M5, Fig.` 2'; and- 1 AFigure 6 is a detail sectionshowing a modi iication. f Referring to said drawings, l designates a hollow cylindrical `casing or pedestal, pref-- erably made of sheet metal, having ka closed upper end 2 and an open lower end,fan 'annular flange 3 *being formed on said lower per end 2 of saidv casing l is a sheet metal cap,

plate `6 which, preferably, hasV ladownwardly 59 turned annular flange 7 disposed in non-bind end throughwhich attachment withv the runing relation to said casing,"asfshown in Fig.` 3. Attached to the pedestal byvmeans of a vertically disposed hollow or tubular bolt 8 which Vis-directed centrally through its upper end and through'the overlying cap.-plate 6 is al bracket arm 9 upon the' end of which ismounted alamp casing .10, said arm being Vadapted for-rotary movement together with said cap-plate for positioning the lamp casing, aswill hereinafter be explained.

The bracket arm Qhasan upwardly dished head portion` 92L of approximately circular form, providing a vertically disposed flangev 91 which y,occupies frictionally, seated relation to the cap-plate 6. Y The bolt 8, which occupies Vertical centrally disposed relation to said cap-plate and the upper end 2 of the pedestah as `hereinbefore stated, may either havevan integral head on its lower lend (not shown) v`or may havethreaded on said end ay nut'l, as shownin Fig. 3. Y i j Interposed between said head, or said nut 11, as the case may be, andthe under face of the end v2 of the pedestal l is a bolt-encircling spiral spring 12. Also, said bolt has its upper end threaded, andmounted on said end is a nut 13 adapted to be adjusted for placing said spring 12 under greater orfless tension to increase or decrease the: pressure applied tothe cap-plate 6 through the arm 9 for regulating the frictional resistance to` rotary movementoffered betweensaid cap plate and saidpedestal'l. j As is obvious, adjustment of thenut 1,1,".where s uch'is employed, willV i' that' the nut V13 be utilized for eiecting the l required adjustment. Y

y The Vouter'endv 9c'ofthe arm 9 is made of tubular form, and, as' herein shown, has disposed in embracing relationthe'reto' a `split `ferrule lll which projects outwardly from the lamp casing l0. Saidferrule is adapted tol be compressed into tightly gripping relation toA said 'tubular en d 9 byy means vof al clamp l5 of open ring form'having parallel terminallugs 16 adapted to be attached by a "bolt 17.' ldanifestly, this construction permitsy the lamp to be adjusted-'by rotation on the bracket arm as'required to elevate or lower the projected light beams emanatingV from the lamp.

A spring pressed contact pin 18 projecting inwardly of the lamp l casing and into engagement with a current-conducting contact piece 30 carried by said casing is mounted within the tubular end 9c Vot the bracket arm 9 and has suitably Yattached thereto the bared end oran insulated electrical current;

Y hole 21 providedtheretorin the side of the body of said bolt and located at a point betweenthe top of the arm 9 and the cap-plate 6, whence it leads horizontally to said contact pin 18. f

In practice, the bracket pedestal is rigidly mounted in an appropriate position uponV the ruiming board,'the cap-plate 6 and bracket arm 9 having previously been assembled through theintermediacy of the tubular bolt 8. The nut isthen adjustedto place the spring 12 under proper tension, lfollowing which the bracket arm 49 may be swung for disposing the lamp either in .its operative position ywherein it projects outwardly with respect to the outer edge of the running board, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or in one or the other of its inoperative, or out-o-theway positions wherein it overlies the ruiming board either forward or rearward of the pedestal, the last mentioned position being indicated in dotted lines in Fig'. 1.

^ The upper end 2-of the pedestal l-has formed in its upper face a plurality of small upwardly pressed or indented knobs or buttons 23 of substantially semi-spherical form, said buttons being preferably four in number and being located in i'egularlyrspaced relation at equi-distant points trom the axis of the pedestal. 'Also formed in the under face i ot the overlying cap-plate 6 and adapted to occupy registering relation to said buttons is a kplurality of vupwardly pressed buttons 24: proif'iding on their under sides indented seats adapted to receive the buttons 23 therein, said seats corresponding Vin form and,` size to said buttons 23. Said buttons and seats aredesigned to coact for maintaining the cap-plate against chance rotarymovement with respect to the pedestal ollowing'movement of the bracket arm to any adjusted position.

g It is to be understood that when the spring 12' has beenA placed under proper tension, effected as Vhereinbefore described, the flange 9b of the arm. 9 isY so lirmlyseated upon the cap-.plate that rotary or swinging movement imparted to the ormerfproduces a corresponding movement of i the. latter.L That is to say, due to the frictional binding relation which exists between the arm and the capplate, said parts move as one in the positioning oi"- the arm. 1n rotating from one seated position to another, actuated by force applied tothe lamp casing 10 and communicated thereto through the arm 9, the capplate, as it starts to rotate, iscaused toelebe employed, said seats being adapted to register with the seats 24' of the cap plate, and balls 26 being normally disposed in seated relation to both setsv of seats.

'A suitable stop, as the head of a Vscrew v2 7' mounted in the cap'fplate at an appropriate p-oint, is located beneathV the bracket arm 9 and is adapted to be engaged by the flange 9b of said arm at one side or the other for limitingV the extent of rotary movement of the latter with respect Vto the cap-plate, as when it is desired to slightly adjust said arm forward or back with respect to said cap-plate prior to setting up the adjusting nut 13 so that the lampV will'be moreaccurately focused in'the desired direction when the operative positionvof the bracket isassumed;

What is claimed is-e v Y n I 1. A support-.of thecharacter mentioned comprising a hollow pedestal adapted for mounting on the ruiming board of an automobile, said pedestal having an upper'closed end, a rotary cap'plate overlying said closed end, a-bracket arm. surmounting and normallyrotatable With said "capi plate, adjustable tension means securing said cap plate and said arm in axial relation to said pedestal, and interengageable means between said cap plate andl said pedestal whereby the tormeris'held Vin any `of a plurality of'positions'against chance rotary movement. v

2. A support for the runningboard lamps of automobiles, comprising ja hollowpedestal adapted toy be rigidly mounted :on .the running board, said pedestal having anV ,upper closed end, .a cap plate :mounted for rotary movement on Vsaid closed end, a lamp carrying arm overlying said cap-plate andnormally immovable with respect to the-latter, a pivot-bolt connecting said cap plate'and said varm to said pedestal, a compression spring associated with; said bolt whereby said capplate is maintained seated under yielding ten-` sion, and means providing for interengagementbetween said cap plate and said pedestal Wliereby thel former yis held against chance rotaryl movement from yany of a plurality of positions.Y Y

3. A support for the running board lamps of automobiles, comprising a hollow pedestal adapted to be rigidly mounted on the running board, said pedestal having an upper closed end, a cap plate mounted for rotary movement on said closed end, a lamp carrying arm overlying said cap-plate and normally immovable with respect to the latter, a vertically disposed bolt securing said cap plate and said arm in axially pivoted relation to said pedestal, said bolt having its upper end threaded and projecting above said arm, resilient means normally tending to hold said bolt in a lowered position, a nut carried by d said projecting end of said bolt whereby the tension ot' said resilient means is adjusted for regulating the frictional resistance to rotary movement of said cap plate, and means providing for interengagement between said cap plate and said pedestal Vwhereby the former is held against chance rotary movement from any ot' a plurality of positions.

4. A support for the running board lamps of automobiles, comprising a hollow pedestal adapted to be rigidly mounted on the running board, said pedestal having an upper closed end, a lamp carrying arm overlying said cap-plate and normally immovable with respect to the latter, a vertically disposed tubular bolt securing said cap plate and said arm in axially pivoted relation to said pedestal, said bolt having its upper end threaded and protruding upwardly through said arm and also having its lower end depending below said closed end of the pedestal, a compression spring encircling the lower end portion of said bolt and tending to maintain the latter yieldingly in downwardly drawn position, a nut carried by the protruding upper end of said bolt whereby the tension of said spring may be adjusted 'for regulating the frictional resistance to rotary movement of said cap plate with respect to the pedestal, and spaced means former is normally held in any of a plurality of relatively spaced positions against chance rotary movement, said bolt having a hole in the side thereof intermediate said arm and said cap plate, and a current conducting cable leading -upward through the interior of said bolt, outward through said hole and thence to the lamp. e

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature.

WILLIAM A. GULLETTE.

borne by said cap plate and said closed end of the pedestal whereby the vformer is normally held in any of a plurality of relatively spaced positions against chance rotary movement.

5. A support for the running board lamps of automobiles, comprising a hollow pedestal adapted to be rigidly mounted on the runningboard, said pedestal having an upperV closed end, a capplate mounted for rotary movement on said closed end, a lamp carrying arm overlying said cap-plate and normally immovable with respect to the latter, a vertically disposed tubular bolt securing said cap plate and said arm in axially pivoted relation to said pedestal, said bolt having its upper end threaded and protruding upwardly through said arm and also having its lower end depending below said closed end of the pedestal, a compression spring encircling the lower end portion of 

